Means for and method of illumination



Nov. 28, 1933. R. E. BARCLAY MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF ILLUMINATION FiledApril 20, 1931 5750627252: Z .13. (Zara w gx Patented Nov. 28, 1933ulrao T STATES mauve FOR AND mrrnon or" mpmmrron Robert E. Barclay,Chicago, 111., assignor to Federal Electric Company, Chi

ration of New York mo, 111-, a co m- Application April 20, 1931. derialNo. 531,382

6 Claims. (01. Mil-10.1)

My invention relates in general to the art of illumination and has moreparticular reference to the production of artistic, eye-arrestinglighting effects which are especially well adapted for advertising anddisplay purposes and which also have application as an architecturaladjunct for the embellishment and decoration of building structures.

One of the important objects of my present invention is to provide acheap and easily constructed, eilicient and attractive display deviceembodying the gas filled electrical discharge illuminating elements ofthe'type exemplified by Neon Tubes, said device being arranged to pro-,duce kaleidoscopic or shifting light effects of a character capable ofattracting attention and, if properly controlled, produces pleasingartistic efiects to thereby render the device particularly useful inadvertising and for ornamenting building structures and in many otherways.

Another object is to provide a device embodying discharge arcillumination and arranged to produce shifting kaleidoscopic lightingeffects in many colors.

Another object resides in the improved details of construction of theapparatus for accomplishing the foregoing results and including thenovel means of mounting, in circuit, luminous elements of the dischargeare type; the manner of, producing traveling light eflects by mountingluminous elements of the type described in a traveling frame; and .themanner of providing high tension electric power in the shifting framefor the purpose of operating the luminous elements.

Among the numerous other objects of my present invention is to provideapparatus for and method of creating polychromatic shifting lighteffects; to provide a cascade of light whereby to create the illusion offalling water; to utilize discharge are illumination in creatingkaleidoscopic eiiects; to produce novel lighting effects by the use ofshifting luminous discharge are elements; to use discharge areillumination in conjunction with prismatic lenses to produce novellighting eiiects; and to provide an apparatus including a turntable forshiftably mounting discharge are illuminating elements in order toaccomplish my purpose, the turn table being constructed to carryattransformer so that power to operate the dis-' charge are elements maybe supplied through slip rings or otherwise to the turntable at lowvoltage, it being understood that under ordinary circumstances dischargearc illumination is accomplished at high voltage which cannot readily besupplied to a turning device.

These and numerous other objects and advantages will be understood fromthe following description, which, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing discloses a practical operable device embodying myinvention.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a kaleido scope, including theturntable, embodying my present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view partially in sec-- 05 tion along the line2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the turntable:j

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the end of a luminescent elementemployed in the device of my present invention;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating types of lenses whichmay be employed, in conjunction with the traveling discharge arcelements carried in the turntable, to create novel lighting effects.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown on the drawing shiftablesupport means 11 for illuminating elements, preferably of the dischargeare type such as the neon or other gas filled tubes 13. My invention,however, is not necessarily limited to the specific luminescent elementdisclosed. The support means 11 preferably comprises a rotatably mountedtm-ntable driven by any suitable motive device or primermover such asthe illustrated electric motor 15.

The drive means is preferably provided with a suitable speed control(not shown), and reduction gears 19 also are or may beemployed betweenthe motor and turntable so that the latter may be operated within asuitable or desired speed range by a standard motor.

The turntable comprises a frame provided with means, comprising spacedclips 27, adapted to receive and retain the ferruled ends 29 01 neontubes or other luminescent elements. I wish to call attention, at thistime, to the novel manner of mounting the luminescent elements in theframe. The frame in the illustrated apparatus comprises an upper and alower disc 31 and 33 in the edges of which the clips 27 are arranged sothat the elements 13 are held, at their upper and lower endsrespectively, to the edges of the upper and lower discs. The discs alsoare mounted in spaced relation on an axle 35 through which the turntableis driven by the motor. The 105 clips 27 may be of any common orsuitable form such as is commonly employed in supporting the ferruledends of fuses, and the ends of the luminescent elements 13 are providedwith cupshaped ferrules 30 as indicated in Figure 4 of 110 ance with apre-determined scheme and the low-.

the drawing. The ends of each element 13 are sealed in a manner wellknown in the art and provided with an electrode 32 which is preferablysupported and spaced from the inner walls of the tube by a collar, bymeans of glass beads as is well known in the art. A connector 36 extendsfrom the electrode 32 outwardly through the sealed end of the tubeforming the luminescent element and passes through a perforation in thebottom of the cup-shaped ferrule 30. The ferrule engages and embracesthe sealed end of the tube and'is held in place by, means of suitablecement 38 and by the fact that the connector 36 is sealed to the ferruleas at 40.

Both ends of the element are or may be provided with ferrules in thedescribed manner so that the entire unit may be mounted in itssupporting clips with a minimum of effort. I am not aware that it hasever been proposed to mount luminescent elements in this manner in fuseclips; however, I believe the advantage of so mounting the luminescentelements will be clearly apparent.

The clips on the upper disc are connected together by conductors 37 andthe clips on the lower disc are connected by conductors 39 in accorderclips are connected with a transformer 41, which is supported in theturntable and moves therewith so that when the elements are'arrangedbetween the upper and lower clips all may receive power from thetransformer. In the device illustrated, the clips and connectingconductors are arrangedso that the elements 13 form a seriescircuitbetween the high voltage terminals of the transformer. v i

Power-is supplied to the low voltage terminals ofthe'transformerth-rough slip' rings 43 which preferably compriseconcentric annular strips mounted on the lower disc of the turntable,the rings being held in place by studs 44, preferably formed integralwith the rings at one end,-which project through perforations in thedisc and are threaded at their upper ends to receive nuts 46. Obviouslyany suitable expedient may be employed for mounting the rings in theframe 11.

' The low voltage terminals of the transformer are connected each to theupper end of the stud of one of the rings by means of conductors 45 asshown in Figure 5 and fingers 47 are suitably mounted to contact each aring as the turntable revolves. Thefingers 47 are preferably connectedby power leads 49 and through suitable switching apparatus including adisconnecting switch 51 and the fuses' 53, to the power source, 21.

The fuses 53, the switch 51 and the apparatus for controlling the motor'15 are or may be conveniently mounted on a'control panel 54, which isor may be carried in a frame located at any desired control point eithernear to or at a distance from the device 11. x

I am not aware that it has ever been proposed to shiftably mountluminescent elements of the discharge are type in order to produce novellighting effects. I find that, by shiftably mounting the luminescentelements, novel visual effects are produced in the units particularly ifshifted laterally at high speed and one phase of my invention consistsof shiftably mounting the luminescent elements. However, I am able tocreate startlingly new and eye-arresting effects by shifting thedischarge arc illuminating elements behind a preferably prismatic lens55, which forms a screen on which the luminescent element appears to theobserver as a distorted image comprising a wavering streak of light. Thelens is preferably arranged in the form of a plate of substantialweight, one side of which is grooved or fluted as is well known in theart.

In Figures '5 and 6, I have illustrated in crosssection, portions ofprismatic lenses suitable for use in the device of my present inventionfor the purpose of producing the above mentioned kaleidoscopic effects.

I mount the lens or lenses (sin'ce obviously any number of lenses may beused) 55 in a suitable support frame 57 arranged to support the lens orlenses in front of the shifting elements 13. I do not, of course, intendto limit this aspect of my invention to the particular lens employed orthe particular arrangement of the lens or to the specific meansillustrated for causing the elements to shift their position behind thelens, it being possible to vary the form, construction and arrangementof the several parts without avoiding the scope of my present invention.I am, however, able to produce a visual effect closely simulating acascade of tumbling water by ar ranging the prisms of the lensdiagonally preferably at an angle of 45 as illustrated in Figure 1 ofthe drawing. The effect is rendered especially beautiful by employinglight elements 13 of many different colors.

The ever-changing kaleidoscopic light effects which I am thus able toproduce include effects which are not only beautiful but which areeyearresting and attention-gaining in the extreme, and this fact rendersmy invention of particular utility as a beacon for air-ports andanalogous purposes.

As each element 13 travels laterally across and behind the diagonallyarranged prismatic'lens, a zigzag discontinuous streak of light, theseveral parts of which are indicated in dotted lines at 59 in Figure 1of the drawing, travels across the 115 screen 55. As it travels acrossthe screen, the several parts of the discontinuous image 59 appear tomove downwardly. This effect is created because the prisms, of which thescreen or lenses 55 are formed, are arranged diagonally.

If a large number of luminescent elements 13 are arranged in theframeand the same is rotated at a rapid rate, a rapid succession ofvariously colored images 59 will travel across the screen and produce avisual effect closely resembling a 125 cascade of water.

I propose to use this effect not only in advertising and display signsbut also on building structures and it is possible, by multiplying thenumber and size of screens and elements 13 employed 130 in the assembly,to entirely cover large areas with a colorful ever-changingkaleidoscopic stream of colors.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendantadvantages will be fully under- 135 stood from the foregoing descriptionand it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing fromthe spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its of lightand in spaced relationship from said source of light and means forestablishing relative movement between the lens and the light source sothat the light source moves in a direction with respect to the lensintersecting the prisms thereof at an angle other than a right angle.

2. An illuminating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lens isstationary and comprises 4. An illuminating device as set forth in claim1 wherein the lens comprises prisms extending in one direction and theelongated streak of light is moved relatively with respect to the lensin a direction intersecting the prisms at an angle of approximately 45degrees.

5.An illuminating device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lenscomprises prisms extending at an angle of substantially 45 degrees withrespect to the vertical and the source of light extends vertically andis shifted laterally and horizontally behind the lens.

6. An illuminating device comprisingan elongated tubular electricaldischarge lamp, a lens comprising elongated prisms, means for mountingthe lens between the observer and the tubular lamp and in spacedrelationship with said lamp and means for relatively moving the lens andthe tubular lamp in such a way that the prisms of the former make otherthan a right angle with the tubular lamp.

ROBERTE. BARCLAY.

